A Furry Gift from the Heart
by Angel's Nocturne
Summary: For YGO Fanfiction Contest. When Malik gets a gift three weeks from his birthday, it's not what he expects. Why did Bakura give him a little white dog, and why does this dog remind him of his crush? RxM Yaoi fluff


Disclaimer: I do not own McDonald's, Disney Channel, or Animal Planet. I do not own YGO. If I did, then there would be a RyouxMalik fan service where you could watch them making out on YouTube for FREE! Wouldn't that be a perfect world? (crickets chirp)… and that is why I don't own YGO.

Author's Note: Alright, folks! Halloween is officially over (weeps). Gah, I'm getting **fat **eating all this frickin' candy! I should exercise… as soon as I stop writing fan fiction (yeah, like NEVER gonna happen!).

So now, I have survived to the fourth round of the YGO Fanficiton Contest (dances), and the pairing is RyouxMalik (cheers!). I've been **waiting** to do this pairing for the whole contest, because the most delicious plot bunny came to be, all wrapped up in a ribbon and bow, looking all cute and, well, perfect. I've been saving it **just** for this round, and I am proud to unveil it!

Here it is, folks! My RxM one-shot! Bon appetite!

#2 Author's Note: All thoughts in italics. Duh.

**A Furry Gift from the Heart **

**By: Angel's Nocturne **

It was a quiet morning in the city of Domino. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and the mailman was preparing for his next suicidal mission through the neighborhood, his mailbag in hand to be used as a weapon at anytime. It was also quiet at the Ishtar residence, which was a small two-and-a-half-story house (the attic being the "half") on the edge of the metropolis, surrounded by others like it in a clone community of small suburban homes. After Battle City, the Ishtars had moved from Egypt to Japan in an attempt at becoming what could be deemed as "normal".

It was a quaint house, painted white and having a very minimalist feel to it, with clean-cut lines and hardly any decorations. The windowpanes were silver, the grass was perfectly cut (because Odion had nothing better to do with himself anymore), and the mailbox was a simple rectangular container with the number 13 posted on the side in black letters. All seemed perfect, all seemed quiet and orderly, until….

_Knock-knock-knock_.

"MALIK! Can you get that for me?" Ishizu's voice echoed through the house, reverberating off the walls like thunder. "I'm a little busy right now!"

"Hold on a sec!" A door on the second floor opened, revealing a disheveled-looking Malik Ishtar as he stumbled through the hall, pulling a pair of straight-legged black pants up as they rested at his knees. His corn-silk hair was in a mess, and he wasn't wearing his usual assortment of gold bangles and jewelry—it may have been ten in the morning, but Malik had only just gotten out of bed, to be awoken by his sister's voice and the obscene knocking at their door.

_Knock-knock_!

"Malik!" Ishizu cried. Malik groaned as he zippered his fly.

"I said I'm getting it!" he retorted. Flying down the carpeted stairs of their home, Malik wished he could block out his older sibling's voice for once. He loved Ishizu as his sister; he would love her even more if she were mute.

He made it to the bottom of the staircase, about to turn left towards the front door when out of the corner of his eye he saw to his right his secondary personality, Marik, sitting at the kitchen table munching on what looked like toast.

Correction. It was the charcoaled remains of what _might_ have been toast—Marik could never learn how to use the toaster properly. It was so blackened that Malik couldn't tell what it was. Marik noticed his hikari watching him, and he paused, looking up with a smirk.

"Morning, sleeping beauty," he teased. He brought the "toast" to his lips and munched on it. "You want some breakfast?"

Malik twitched a little, wondering how in the seven Hells his other self had managed to acquire such an iron stomach. If that had been him he would have puked out that poor excuse for a bread product before it could touch his tongue.

_Knock-knock-KNOCK! _

Malik rolled his eyes. "Why didn't **you **answer the door?" he asked Marik. "Can't you hear the knocking?"

Marik cocked his head to the side, as if straining to hear some faint noise in the distance. "Why should I?" Marik answered curtly. "I'm eating." He continued to scarf down his toast, with Malik glaring at him fiercely.

"Oh, for the love of Osiris!" the hikari groaned, throwing his hands up in the air as he wheeled around and headed for the door. "You're so useless! I was _sleeping_ before this—I could've _stayed_ sleeping if you had just answered the Ra-damn door!"

"You needed to get up anyways," Marik replied cheerfully.

Malik sighed. Where was Odion when you needed him? He must have gone out to get some coffee and bagels for breakfast—Malik smiled. That was one of the perks of living in society: you didn't have to make your own food _all_ the time.

Ishizu insisted they try not to get used to fast food and things like that. Malik snorted. If there was a choice between chicken legs and McDonald's, why would he suffer at the hand of Ishizu's mediocre cooking? He was still waiting on the salmonella—it was only a matter of time, with the way his sister handled the kitchen.

He sauntered to the door, which had become strangely silent. Had the person knocking already left? Malik hoped so; he _really_ didn't feel like dealing with anyone right now. His mind was still fuzzy from sleep, and he had yet to rub the grunge from his eyes.

He undid the lock, and opened the door.

"Hello?" Malik did not open the door fully, waiting for someone to respond. When no one answered him, he curiously looked outside. "Anyone here?" He saw no one standing in front of him, or walking down the pathway leading to the road. No cars were parked in front of the house, and Malik didn't hear one leaving, either. It was as if no one had been there at all.

Malik tried to ignore the creepy sensation that crawled up his spine. This was starting to sound like one of the horror movies Marik and Bakura invited/forced him to watch with them. There must have been _someone_ around to knock on the door… right?

_It's probably some kids playing a prank_, Malik thought, feeling agitated. He woke up from a nice sleep for _this_? _I swear if I find those kids they'll wish they **never** stepped foot on our property aga— huh?_

He felt something pawing on his legs. He froze.

"Wha—?" Malik looked down, scared to know what it was that was touching him.

It was a small dog, no bigger than one of the neighborhood cats. It was white, and had long, fluffy fur that made it resemble a giant puff ball. It appeared to be a Pomeranian, or maybe one of those miniature husky-dog mixes; it had fluffy, triangular-shaped ears, a tiny black nose, and big chocolate eyes that peered up at Malik, watching playfully. A small pink tongue waved from his mouth as it pawed Malik's legs with its front feet, wagging its big, fluffy tail.

Malik stared at the dog for a long time. He considered himself a tough guy, and not one interested in anything that might be considered girly. Riding a motorcycle and liking girly things was almost hypocritical in the Egyptian's eyes—it was blasphemy to his entire existence. But upon seeing this tiny bundle of fluffiness, Malik couldn't help but smile. It was absolutely too precious for words!

"AWWWWWWWW!" Except maybe _that_ one. Malik cooed as he bent down and picked up the puppy, forgetting everything he learned about not touching strange dogs and the like. This one was too cute to possibly be a threat to him—it seemed relaxed in his grasp, its tail still wagging with excitement. "You are _the_ cutest doggy I have _ever_ seen!"

He hadn't seen many dogs before, but that was beside the point. The dog responded, leaning down and kissing Malik's tanned face with its pink tongue. Malik chuckled, smiling as it licked his nose.

"St-Stop! That tickles!"

"Oh for Ra sake!" Marik's voice rang out from the kitchen. "Bakura, stop fondling Malik, or I just might have to skewer you!"

"Marik, it's not Bakura!" Malik said from the doorway.

"Then who? Wheeler?" Malik rolled his eyes—when would the damn mutt jokes come to an end? Malik was as sick of them as Joey.

"No, Marik!"

"Then is it Ryou?" Marik continued. "'Cuz if it is, it took ya long enough! He's all yours!" He made a sound like a cat yowling.

Malik rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Marik!" Still holding the new dog, Malik entered the house and closed the door behind him. He walked into the kitchen, holding his new friend out for his secondary personality to see. "Look what I found on our doorstep!" he said.

Marik looked up from his toast, almost finished with it. His heavy-lidded violet eyes gave the dog a look, before returning to his breakfast, hardly interested.

"So what? You found a giant pom-pom with legs." Marik took his cup of orange juice, chugging down the last of it in one gulp. He wiped his lips, then gathered up his empty cup and plate and headed for the dishwasher. "You know Ishizu's gonna fly off the handle when she sees that."

Malik opened his mouth to answer, but his sister's voice sounded from the staircase behind him.

"See what?" she asked. Malik turned around, the white dog still in his arms; he saw Ishizu, who was in a bathrobe with her wet hair wrapped up in a towel. Their gazes met, before Ishizu's sapphire eyes fell on the fluffy mass in her brother's grasp. She backed away, almost off the staircase.

"Brother!" she scolded. She went up the staircase a little, to get farther from him. "Are you insane? You know I'm allergic to dogs! Get that _thing_ out of the house this instant!"

"Told ya," Marik mumbled as he placed his cup into the dishwasher. Ishizu scowled.

"Be silent, Marik," she commanded. "I don't need your input."

Marik didn't answer, but as Ishizu turned away Malik could have sworn he heard his other half mutter something like, "stupid PMSing bitch" under his breath. Malik shifted uneasily on his feet, and the dog remained still in Malik's arms, just watching the commotion and panting with its little pink tongue.

"Now," Ishizu said, "Brother, how did you come across that dog, anyway?"

"It was on the doorstep when I answered the door," Malik answered. He took a seat at the kitchen table, placing the furry ball on his lap. The dog, to his surprise, sat there quietly, not even daring to make any move to escape him. _Wow, what a good dog. He's not a stray, that's for sure_.

"Was there anyone with the dog?" Ishizu asked.

Malik shook his head. "No—whoever was knocking just… left. I don't know who it was."

"Well, that's certainly odd," Ishizu proclaimed. She rubbed her chin in thought, still standing securely on the staircase. "Malik, check to see if that dog has a collar. From the looks of it, I doubt that it lives on the streets."

"Yeah, it's _way_ too friendly," Marik commented, walking up to Malik and petting the dog. He scratched behind the animal's ears, and the dog pushed against his hand, closing its eyes in contentment. "None of the strays I've seen act like this one."

"You never see strays," Malik retorted, as he felt around the dog's neck for a collar. Under its massive fluff, it was hard to tell if it had one. "You never leave the house—how could you see stray dogs?"

"… I watch Animal Planet." Malik giggled—Marik glared at him, his purple eyes narrow. "Shut up—it's only when there isn't anything else on that fucking television. What else is there to see? Disney Channel?" Marik snorted, crossing his arms across his chest as he stuck up his nose. "Keh…I would rather do the Pharaoh then watch that shit—"

"Marik, don't say things like that!" Ishizu snapped. Malik knew if she were closer to Marik she would have smacked the back of his head, for mentioning the Pharaoh like that.

"Whatever," Marik hissed. Ishizu rolled her eyes. "Have you found a collar yet, Brother?" she asked to Malik.

Malik fumbled with sorting past the dog's fluff. "I think I ... might have." His fingers found something; it felt like a small band running around the dog's neck. "Yeah, I found one."

"What's on it? An ID tag?"

"Give me a second, Sister," Malik replied. He ran his fingers down the collar, until they felt what could have been an identification tag. He moved away the fur to see that it was indeed a tag, but not one for an ID. "… I found _something_…."

"What is it?" Ishizu asked, noticing the odd tone in Malik's voice.

He squinted his lilac eyes, peering at the engraved words on the small metal tag. He read the words aloud.

"To Malik Ishtar. Enjoy the Early Birthday gift. From, the Pwnsome Thief King." Malik read the words again in his mind, as the others gave him questioning looks.

"… Bakura," Malik finally stated, sighing. "Figures—only _he_ would send us a dog, when he knows that Ishizu's allergic." Malik looked at the dog again; so this was a gift from Bakura. Malik's birthday wasn't for another three weeks; why would the Thief King be sending him a present now?

Malik's thoughts wandered. The tag didn't mention if the gift was from Ryou too. Malik's heart sank. He had been friends with Bakura and Ryou for a while, after he made amends to them for the Battle City tournament. He was always hanging out with Bakura, and occasionally Ryou, as the youth always seemed to busy whenever Malik was around. Malik had seen his share of Bakura-caused disasters, and had been a witness to what the thief did when he hung out with Malik's darker side. Those too were even more sadistic then _he_ used to be; it was because of that that he started hanging out with Ryou more, enjoying the more civil of the two snow-haired teens.

Malik didn't know why he suddenly felt sad—maybe he was expecting Ryou to have pitched in for this gift too. Deep down, he knew that he wanted the gift to read "From Ryou" instead of "From the Pwnsome Thief King". And he knew the reason for it, too…

"Are you sure that's addressed to _you_?" Marik asked, his eyes looking keenly at the dog and its collar. "Maybe you read it wrong and it says 'Marik'…."

Malik read it again. "Nope, it's Malik." He looked over at Marik. "Why? What are you thinking?"

Marik shook his head, waving off the issue. "Uh, nothing. Just making sure."

Malik narrowed his gaze. "If you're thinking Bakura got you a dog so that you blow it up in the microwave again, then you're a real sick fuck, Marik." He sighed, remembering how the two sadistic maniacs decided it would "fun" to see what would happen if they put a squirrel in the microwave for a few minutes. The end result: Malik and Odion having to spend all their saved money to buy a new microwave AND clean the kitchen for nearly two days. The smell didn't leave for a week, and as for the squirrel (or what was left of the poor creature) Malik didn't know what happened to it. It was one of those unsolved mysteries in life, and Malik _really_ didn't want to solve it, either.

Marik shrugged. "We can't do that anymore, remember? The local pet shop AND the one down by the Pharaoh have us on their black list… fuckers, we didn't do anything THAT bad…."

Ishizu cleared her throat. "I believe setting several birds on fire and feeding the anaconda a few mice and a chinchilla can be considered 'THAT bad'."

Marik ignored her. "Well, I don't know where Bakura got you that dog then. He would have to have gone all the way out to the next city to buy it…." A small smirk played on Marik's lips. "_If_ he bought it, that is."

Malik's stomach sank in realization. "You don't think… Bakura _stole_ this dog, do you?"

Silence. The three Ishtars looked between themselves, and the little fluff ball that was the dog in question just sat still, looking between the three with curious eyes.

Finally Malik got up, handing the dog to Marik as he said, "I'm gonna go call Bakura." He picked up the phone, dialing the number—his eyes glanced at his darker half, still holding the mutt. "Marik, stay," he commanded.

Marik grunted. "Should I roll over and beg for mercy too?"

Malik placed the phone to his ear, listening to it ring. "Hmm, didn't think about that. Thanks for the idea though." He turned his attention to the phone. It rang two, three, four times….

_That's odd_, Malik thought. _It's the weekend—normally Ryou would be home by now_. The phone clicked to the answering machine.

_"Hello, you have reached the residence of Ryou Bakura"_ Ryou's chipper voice rang out.

"_And the great Thief King, ruler of all your mortal scum!_" Bakura's voice could be heard in the distance.

Malik smiled as he heard Ryou sigh. "_Please leave your name and phone number after the beep. We'll get back to you when we can."_

"_Unless you're the Pharaoh"_, Bakura added loudly. "_Yami, if this is you calling, please go jump off a cliff and never call again_."

"_BAKURAAAAA_—" BEEP.

"Uh, hey Ryou, Bakura," Malik said. "This is Malik, just wondering if you were there—"

"Hey Malik," Bakura voice said as Malik heard the phone pick up.

_Well, at least **someone**'s home_, Malik thought. "Hey there, Bakura. Since when did you start answering the phone? Where's Ryou?"

"Oh, he's, uh… why did you call, Malik? Is Marik in jail again?"

"No, not this time. Listen, I just got the present you left for me. You know, the dog on my doorstep." Malik didn't bother to question how on Ra's green earth Bakura could be home after just delivering the puppy. Bakura could do some really creepy things… he could hear Thief King chuckle.

"Ah, so you did. Do you like it?" he asked. There was something odd in Bakura's voice, but Malik couldn't quite place it.

"The dog is very adorable, if that's what you mean," Malik answered. "But I was wondering where you got her from—"

The other end burst into terribly loud laughter. Malik pulled the phone away from his ear, as he heard Bakura say, "No, no, it's a _he_, Malik, a _he_!"

"Oh," Malik said, "sorry about that. Anyways, where did you get the dog? Was it the pet store at the shopping center?"

The laughter died away. It turned into a nervous chuckle. "Um, yeah, about that…."

The phone clicked. Bakura had hung up.

Malik stood silently for a moment or two. _That… that bastard_! Malik hung up the phone, swearing under his breath.

"What did the Thief King say?" Ishizu asked from the stairs. Malik returned to the kitchen table, grabbing the dog from Marik and holding it close to his chest.

"He hung up," Malik answered flatly.

Ishizu sighed. "I should have expected as much. Actually, I wasn't expecting him to pick up at all—he's so busy practicing all those ungodly spells of his, I'm surprised he hasn't turned Ryou's apartment into a bowl of cheddar cheese." Malik thought about what Ishizu said—it was true, lately Bakura had been getting into a lot of spell work, ever since he started trying to master the powers of his Millennium Ring. Many of his spells backfired, though, including one that was supposed to make Ryou wealthy. The poor albino ended up with green skin for about a week and a half. Ishizu adjusted the towel on her head. "Well, then that settles that. We're going to have to find this dog's owner."

Malik nodded. "Yeah, I guess so…." He picked the dog up and held him, looking at his little face. He knew that what Ishizu said was right; if Bakura had stolen the dog, then it would only be proper to return him to his rightful owner. They must have missed their little friend; he was such a good dog, all quiet and friendly. Malik wanted to sigh—he _was_ such a nice little dog, so cute and fluffy. Because of Ishizu's allergy, Malik could never have a dog to call his own. He felt his heart being torn apart—deep down inside, he knew he wanted to keep this puppy. It just seemed _right_, like the dog was meant for him, somehow. The fluffy white mass leaned down and tenderly licked Malik's nose again.

Maybe… like the dog wanted to be with him, too.

Once Odion came back from his shopping, the Ishtar family got to work. Ishizu called the local pet shops, making sure that Bakura hadn't stolen any dogs that resemble Malik's. Assuming he might be a neighborhood dog, Odion and Malik took a picture of their new friend, and used their computer to make copies of papers stating that this dog had been found and if anyone was missing a similar dog, to come and see them about it. Malik and Ishizu were the only computer-savvy people in their house—Odion was more or less the muscle and Marik was just plain lazy. The yami watched Animal Planet as they all worked throughout the Ishtar home.

As Odion went around the neighborhoods posting the dog's pictures on various street-corners and stores, Malik was left to take care of his new friend. The fluffy dog didn't seem to mind the mass commotion, instead just keenly watching everyone as they worked to find his previous home. Every once in a while, Malik would go over to play with his companion, finding an old ball he used to play catch with when he and Odion were still up to it, and tossing it to the puppy. The dog eagerly went along with the game, retrieving the ball and carrying it back in his little jaws. Malik grinned as he watched his friend return every single time, when all the while, his heart felt like it would break at the prospect of having to give up his wonderful new pal.

Eventually Ishizu mentioned that the dog was getting in the way and she feared her allergies would start to act up, so Malik decided to take the fluff bundle out for a quick walk up and down their block. He didn't have a leash, so he improvised by tying some heavy-duty electric chord to the dog's collar. He tied it so that it wouldn't catch in the dog's fur, and so that it would be a secure hold. He wasn't sure if it would work or not, but it was all he had as an option.

They left the house in the early afternoon; the sun was burning without relent, shining down on Malik and the dog like a spotlight. Malik didn't mind the heat at all—living in Egypt for most of his life, this weather felt rather fine to him. The sun barely burned his skin, and the little breeze that swept past them made him shiver. He regretted wearing his sleeveless purple shirt, wishing he had perhaps brought a jacket, as any girl that passed him on the sidewalk gave him a glance that suggested an undermining, ravenous hunger. Then they would stop to pet his "so very cute wittle doggy!" as they got another chance to ogle his lean, muscular arms.

Strangely enough, as soon as they started to look at Malik like a piece of meat, the little dog would start acting… peculiar. He would pull on the leash and whimper as if he were frightened, and Malik couldn't help but be obliged to leave the young woman he was talking to behind and get as far from her as possible. It seemed the little puppy understood what was happening, and didn't want any woman to be spending time with Malik. Malik chuckled to himself when he thought about it; how could the dog know what was going on, anyways? He was just a dog.

They continued their quiet walk down the street. They were under the shade of some trees that lined the property they walked past, enjoying the display of emerald as it whispered in the lightest breeze. A metal wind chime sang from someone's house, its sweet notes dancing through the air like a fairy's melodious cry. A car whizzed past them on the road and a few kids turned the corner ahead on their bikes, yelling to each other.

_Well, today seems like such a nice day_, Malik commented to himself as he observed the world around him. The dog seemed to take pleasure in it to, as he merely trotted along in front of Malik, never pulling on the leash or going crazy at every little thing that moved or made a sound. Malik almost couldn't believe that this _was_ a dog… he seemed too well-trained to belong to anyone around Domino, or at the very least his neighborhood or Bakura's. Could it be that Bakura stole an award-winning champion dog, prized for his beauty and manners? Malik thought the chances slim to none, but this was the Thief King he was dealing with. Who knows what could be on his mind….

The two turned a corner, and another car drove past. There was hardly anyone outside, so the whole neighborhood seemed lifeless and abandoned. Malik didn't like it when it got this quiet—it reminded him of being back underground, where there was no one else to be with, no new faces to talk to. He was alone back then, and wanting to see the outside world—it was that longing that got him in trouble with his father, and it was what started the mess that sent his life into a downward spiral… when the feeling of loneliness started to creep back into his heart, Malik shook his head, wishing the thoughts away.

He wasn't completely alone now—he had friends, he had family, he had the _world_ at his fingertips! Right now, though, he had his new friend, his fluffy little mis-gift, to keep him company. He smiled, wishing he never had to let his new companion go.

"Well, little buddy," Malik said out loud to the dog, "I think you've had enough walking for now. We should head back to my house, and play some more ball. How does that sound, hmm?"

For some reason, Malik was almost expecting the dog to answer—he mentally smacked himself. Dogs can't speak! The puppy turned a little to look at him, his big brown eyes seeming to contemplate, before to Malik's shock, the little dog suddenly turned back to the road, tugging on the leash with all his strength. He was trying to run away, down the road and in the opposite direction of Malik's home. Malik got over his surprise, and grabbed the leash with both his hands, struggling against the little dog's might.

"Stop it!" Malik commanded, planting his feet firmly on the ground as he tugged on the leash. The dog did not relent. "Stop it, I said! Where do you think you're going? Stop or you'll hurt yourself!"

The dog did not heed his warnings. He gave a pull, and then another, this one with more vigor. The sound of electric wire stretching could be heard, like a ticking time bomb, waiting to explode. The dog whimpered as he scratched the sidewalk with his nails, clawing to get away. Malik grunted as he nearly lost his footing.

"Please!" Malik begged through gritted teeth. "Please, just stop already!" He gave the electric wire a final tug.

The chord snapped.

Like a rocket the little dog bounded away, down the street with half the electric chord dangling behind him as he galloped down the sidewalk. Malik fell, groaning as he landed flat on his ass. Struggling to get back up, he looked down at the half of electric chord he held in his hands. Putting two and two together, he looked up, and saw the little dog hurtling away down the street.

_OH CRAP!_ Ignoring his aching rear, Malik dashed down the street after him. He ran, trying to catch up, but the little dog was faster on four legs, despite how small they were. The fluff ball turned a corner, and Malik followed, trying desperately to run faster.

He couldn't loose that dog. What if he got hit by a car, and died? Malik fought back tears as he thought of the little dog, that cute pom-pom of adorableness, bleeding on the side of the road, never to wag his tail for him again. Something inside Malik went berserk—he couldn't let that dog get hurt. He **wouldn't** let his friend find harm!

The dog continued on his mad dash, turning left, then right, then right again two streets later. Malik was confused—did the dog know where he was going? If he was just running away, Malik assumed he would have went in a straight line—this one was following the roads like he had an idea of where he was heading. Was he running to home?

After a while, Malik lost sight of the dog, as he had turned a corner and seemingly vanished. Malik felt his heart pounding against his rib cage in panic, as he followed the path that he assumed the dog took. He recognized the part of the town they were in—it was close to Ryou and Bakura's apartment, more into the city.

He rounded the corner at the end of the street, which led into a big open area in the middle of the neighborhood. Malik realized where he was—it was the local park that he and Ryou went to sometimes when they hung out together. It was one of the few parks that city had, and though it was one of the smaller, it was also one of the more picturesque. Tall, flourishing trees were everywhere, their canvas of leaves spreading out like a canopy over the park, making it shady and inviting in the heat of summertime. There was a large water fountain in the middle of the park, and in various sections benches were set up for people to sit on. Currently there was hardly anyone around—an old lady was feeding bread crumbs to pigeons, and two kids were playing by the fountain, dipping their hands into the water and splashing one another. Malik's eyes wandered all around, searching, still not seeing his fluffy companion—

_Wait! There he is!_ Malik saw a white fluff ball scampering through the park, prancing through the grass as he made his way over to one of the benches. He stopped to sniff it—Malik took the opportunity as he silently stalked over to the bench, approaching the dog so as not to scare him away. He was doing well on the silent part for a while, until he stepped on a fallen branch and it snapped under his weight. In the dead quiet, the sound seemed to echo all through the park.

Or at least loud enough so that the dog heard it—his head perked up, ceasing his sniffing as chocolate eyes gazed over at Malik. The Egyptian braced himself, ready to chase the dog in case he started running to escape him. Dog and teen stared at one another, waiting for the other to make the first move.

Then, to Malik's surprise, the dog's fluffy tail started wagging; his small, pink tongue flopped out as he bounced over to Malik, looking as excited to see him as ever. Malik blinked, unsure of what to make of this, as the tiny dog pawed his legs. Wasn't the dog trying to run away from him or something?

Looking down at the dog's cute-as-a-button face, Malik couldn't help but grin. He forgot all about the dog's escape run, as he picked him up and held him in the air, looking at him with delight. The dog continued to wag his tail.

"What did you think you were doing?" Malik said, his voice playful and amused. The dog gave a feeble "_arff_!", which made Malik's grin widen. "What were you doing, you little cotton ball? Did you lead me here to play with you or something?"

The dog cocked his head to the side—Malik could have sworn from the look on the pup's face that he understood exactly what he was saying. The Egyptian laughed heartily, taking a seat on the bench with his dog friend in his hands.

"You had me running all over Domino, you know," he said, as he scratched the dog behind the ears like Marik did. Like the last time, the dog leaned back, panting softly as he closed his eyes. Malik smiled. "I was so worried about you! What if you had gotten hurt? You could have been hit by a car, or chased by another dog, and been dead right now! Would you want that?" The dog just panted away. Malik sighed. "Well, at least you're safe now, I guess. But no more running away!" he scolded, waving a finger in the front of the dog's face. "I don't think I have the energy to chase after you a second time, so just try not to go Houdini on me again. You got that, buddy?"

To Malik's surprise, the dog turned towards him, placed his paws on Malik's chest, and gave him a small lick on the lips. Malik didn't know why, but he blushed a deep shade of pink. He could feel the heat burning on his cheeks, and he touched his nose tenderly.

_Did… did I just blush, because a **dog** kissed me_? He shook his head. _I'm such a weirdo_. The dog watched him, his paws still on his chest as his giant brown eyes studied Malik's surprised expression. Malik cocked an eyebrow.

"What are **you** looking at?" he asked, smiling. The dog just wagged his tail, as he jumped off of Malik and sat beside him on the bench. "I bet you think just because you gave me a kiss means I'll have to keep you. Isn't that right?" He turned to the dog, who cocked his head in response. Malik stroked the puppy's fur. "Well, dog, I wish it were that way. You seem like a sweet little guy—it's a shame I'll have to take you back to whoever Bakura stole you from." He crossed his arms up behind his head, leaning back. He stared up at the canopy of leaves above him. "I never had a pet before—hell, I've never really even gotten **close **to a dog before. Can you believe it? The first time I really got to play with a dog was here, when Ryou and I took a walk some few months ago. He was a real cute one, just like you. Ishizu got mad at me because the dog's fur was on my clothes when I came home and she was sneezing for a few days. Ryou really seemed to like that dog a lot." Malik sighed audibly. "I wonder where Ryou is now… I bet he would like you a lot too. I wish I could show you to him…."

Malik turned to look at his companion, expecting a wagging tail covered by fur. His eyes met an empty bench.

"Dog?" Malik shot up from his seat, looking in every direction. "Hey, dog! Where'd you go?" He swore, seeing no sign of the fluff ball. _Shit—I thought I told him, no more disappearing acts_!

Malik's gaze darted left and right, as he called out to the dog. It was a moment later that he spotted the white pom-pom, running for the park's giant water fountain. He groaned—he would have to run over to catch him.

_As if this dog hasn't made me run enough already!_ Malik rushed to the fountain, relieved that as he approached, the dog didn't run away. He was up on his hind legs, his front paws on the fountain lip as he looked over at the rippling water inside. Malik was panting hard when he finally made it beside his new friend.

"Would you… please stop… doing that?" he breathed, his hands on his knees as he gulped for air. He had run pretty fast—he wanted to make sure nothing happened to his companion. The dog waved his tail in acknowledgement, but did not turn to face Malik.

After he caught his breath Malik glanced to see what the dog was looking at. The pup seemed to be staring at nothing—there were only pennies at the bottom of the fountain, and a few floating leaves on the surface. There was nothing else that could be of interest.

Malik took a seat on the fountain lip. "You know, this fountain's one of my favorite places to hang out," he said absently to the dog. "It's where me and Ryou go every once in a while, when we have nothing better to do with ourselves. Sometimes Ryou brings some stale bread from his house and we feed the local birds." Malik smiled as he remembered. "This one time, Ryou and I got into a play fight, and we started throwing bread crumbs at each other. Then all the birds came and landed on our heads, and started poking us with their beaks! It hurt so much—I almost cried when one bird nipped my ear!" He chuckled softly, rubbing the spot where the bird had gotten him. It didn't hurt anymore, but he could still recall the sting.

The little dog barked. Malik looked over to see that the fluff ball was trying to jump up onto the fountain lip, but didn't have the strength to hoist himself onto it. Malik smiled—what was with this dog? He seemed to do the strangest things….

"What are you doing?" he asked playfully. "You want to sit beside me—is that it?" The dog's tail wagged faster. Malik exhaled dramatically, rolling his eyes as he grinned. "Alright then."

He picked the dog up and set him carefully on the fountain ledge. The animal sat down, his tail waving enthusiastically as he peered up at Malik, seeming to grin. Malik knew that dogs couldn't smile… but it almost seemed like this one could. Like he had a personality… a human one, which the Egyptian knew very well.

Malik blinked, trying to discern this vague sense of déjà vu. He stared into the dog's eyes, into the shimmering orbs of russet, as if looking for whatever it was the plagued his thoughts. Something tingled on the edge of his senses—had he met this puppy before? Maybe he had seen him around the neighborhood, or in the park. It was something deeper, however—his soul suddenly yearned, as his eyes gazed absently at the dog, trying to uncover the mystery that held itself from him.

… He knew this dog, but, he had never seen him before. It was as if he had met this dog, in another time, another place, another form… his soul and the dog's soul had met, and he knew this to be somehow true. He couldn't explain how he knew—it was a warm feeling in his chest, tingling and flickering like a candle flame, newly birthed on the wick. His head felt light, and his body felt oddly relaxed—who was it that he saw within the dog's large brown eyes?

He fell into the dog's stare, searching, trying to see. He couldn't distinguish the sensation—what was making him feel so strange? What was making his heart pound fast and hard in his chest, and his head swim in and out of rational thought? He gazed, and floated in the wondrous feeling of significance… and for a second he thought he saw, in the gaze of the little white dog… a person—

"…Ryou?" Malik breathed in the name, wondering who it was that spoke it. It was a moment later that he realized it was him.

Why had he just said the name of his best friend?

The dog cocked his head to the left, his little ears perked up curiously. Both teen and dog watched each other for several moments, as if the silence that held between them was the only thing keeping them from falling away….

"CAW! CAW!"

A crow cried in a nearby tree. Malik gave a start, cursing as he nearly fell off the fountain lip. As he caught his balance, he saw that the dog had been frightened too, but unlike him, the pup couldn't grab the fountain ledge for support. He teetered on the edge, nails scratching on the smooth stone, before falling into the fountain, into the cold water within.

"Gah!" Malik felt the water splash all over his lavender shirt. It was cool and nippy in the shade of the park. The Egyptian looked down to see the dog struggling in the water, yelping as he flailed around clumsily. His head went under a few times, as he fought to stay above the surface.

Malik's eyes widened at the sight. "Ra-damnit!" Without thinking the tanned youth reached into the fountain, grabbing the little dog up and out of the water. The normally white fluff ball was dripping wet, its fur clumps of matted, dripping hair. Malik placed the dog in his lap, ignoring the fact that he only got his clothes soaked even more by doing so.

"Aah, geez," Malik said, looking over his new friend with concern. The tiny fluff ball was shivering and soaked to the bone, but he continued to wag his tail, even if it was now too weak a motion to be discerned as a wag. Malik stroked the puppy, looking into his eyes. Despite his recent episode, the dog continued to smile, his little pink tongue flapping from his little mouth. Malik felt him shaking in his grasp, and the former tomb keeper's heart felt like it would shatter into nothing.

"There, there…" he cooed, with a gentleness he did not know he possessed. "It's alright. I'll get you home, where you'll be nice and dry." Malik stiffly got to his feet, still holding the wet dog in his arms. Ignoring the stare he got from the old lady feeding the pigeons nearby, he trudged through the park, towards his home. "And this time, I'm carrying you back. No more escaping for you, buddy."

It was late afternoon in the Ishtar house—outside, the sun was starting its trek towards the horizon, the sky wishing it well with a flamboyant display of fiery colors. The once white-gold sun had turned into a red-orange sphere of flames, casting its colored light upon Domino, kissing the world with its warmth and majesty. Some of its rays streaked into the home through the closed blinds, just barely brightening the darkened rooms with a sunset glow.

Marik sat on the couch, flipping through the television stations when Ishizu walked in from the kitchen. She was dressed in her normal cotton dress, but her hair was put up in a bun since she was working to make dinner for her family; she looked Marik over, as the yami continued to be unaware of her presence, absently changing the channel.

"Marik?" Ishizu asked.

"Hmm?"

"Have you seen Malik? He disappeared on me as soon as he came home with that… thing." Her nose wrinkled in dislike, the 'thing' she referred to being the wet lump that was the dog.

Marik's heavy-lidded eyes didn't leave the moving screen, his finger robotically pressing on the remote. "He went upstairs. I think he is in his room, with the tiny monster. Why? You worried he'll take after me, and he'll make that dog wish it were never left on our doorstep?"

Ishizu glared. "Not in the least. I know my brother to be of _civil_ nature." Marik did not respond, too entranced by the TV. Ishizu turned away from him, heading back towards the kitchen. _Still_, she thought, _there is something peculiar about this whole situation_….

She reentered their kitchen—a small room with linoleum floors and white cabinets. It merged with the dining area, so that on the other side of the room, a small table with six seats was positioned. Odion was sitting in one of the chairs, reading a newspaper intently. The sound of paper crinkling under his grasp could be heard along with the drone of the television in the living room.

"Where is Master Malik?" Odion asked, his face buried in the newspaper. Ishizu walked over to the dishwasher, opening it and removing clean plates from it. She began to stack them into various cabinets.

"Marik says he's upstairs with the dog," Ishizu answered. She took some silverware and placed them into a drawer nearby. "How did the search go? Did you find any leads?"

Odion grunted. "Not at all. No one has reported ever seeing or having lost a dog like that one, Miss Ishizu."

"Well, it's only been what? Half a day?" Ishizu pointed out. "I am sure that _someone_ owns that dog—maybe they're just realizing that they've lost it."

"Perhaps the King of Thieves did not steal the dog." He paused a beat. "What if Bakura _did_ indeed purchase the creature for Master Malik?"

Ishizu made a sound akin to a snort. "I highly, _highly_ doubt it, Odion. Bakura hung up right when my brother brought up the subject—if that isn't a sign of obvious guilt, then I do not know what is."

"We shall keep looking then."

"Yes, we will." Ishizu finished with the dishes, and headed over to the small laundry corner they had between the kitchen and living room. It was a tiny area in the wall where the washer and dryer were hidden behind sliding doors. She opened it, removing a basket of current laundry for her to do. "And hopefully we shall find the owner soon, before all of that thing's hair gets everywhere and I become sicker than… than…."

"A _dog_?" Marik offered from the living room. Ishizu tossed him an evil glance.

"Go play in traffic, you ingrate," she retorted. Marik cocked an eyebrow, his face lit with the blue light of the boob tube.

"Wow, what's got your loin cloth in a bunch?"

Ishizu ignored him, fishing through the laundry. Her eyes caught sight of Malik's purple shirt and black, straight-legged pants—when he came home with dampened clothes, Malik had undressed and placed his wet clothing in the laundry for Ishizu to take care of. Ishizu's eyes looked them over, and she caught sight of a few stray white hairs along the fabric. She wrinkled her nose.

_And so it has begun_. Ishizu picked the clothes out of the laundry basket, examining them. There was something about the fluff that made Ishizu ponder—normally, if she were within three feet of a dog, she would feel the sensation of a sneeze come on before she could spot the culprit. Strange, however, that this dog's fur didn't produce that effect in her….

_Hmm… I wonder_…. Against her better judgment, the curator plucked the fluff from her brother's clothes, holding it close to her face. It looked like normal dog hair to her eyes; then, without warning, the fur dissolved between her fingertips into sparkling dust. Ishizu watched it sink from her grasp, her expression unreadable. She rubbed her fingertips together, before putting Malik's clothes back into the hamper.

Meanwhile, on the roof of the Ishtar home, Malik sat on the slanted rooftop with a small bundle of towel in his grasp. Wrapped within it was the dog, his fur now lightly damp from his mishap at the fountain. Both sat still, just in each other's company as Malik gazed at the setting sun.

Malik's attic—which had been a small, dusty room in disrepair when the Ishtar family had first moved in—was converted into a sitting room where Malik usually invited his friends to hang out. It was white all over, and on both slanted walls that were the inside of the roof were large windows that opened up to the rooftop outside. Malik liked to sit on the roof on nice days like this—from the top of his house, he had a bird's eye view of Domino, or at least his part of the neighborhood. He couldn't see beyond the sky scrapers that weren't far from the suburbs.

He stared at the fiery sky, the glowing sphere of red-orange starting to kiss the tops of the trees. He had come home as fast as he could, carrying his fluffy companion with him all the way. He changed his clothes, wrapped the dog in a white towel, and headed to the roof so as not to get under Ishizu's feet. He knew how she felt about the dog, and he preferred not to make her more aggravated than she probably already was.

He could feel the pup snuggle into his grasp, into the towel-nest he had created for him. Malik smiled as he watched his buddy get comfortable; he still couldn't remove the feeling of familiarity he had with this animal, and why he had seen Ryou within the dog's gaze.

"Maybe I'm missing Ryou too much," Malik thought aloud. "I haven't seen him in a little while—Bakura's been hogging him an awful lot." He sighed. "I wish he were home right now, so that I could call him. It's not normal for Ryou to be away home on a weekend like this…."

He felt the pup shift in his arms—the fluff ball was looking up at Malik's his brown eyes curious. Malik scratched the pom-pom's head. "What? You listening to me blab?" The dog's tongue flopped out in response. "Well, I guess our situations are the same. I bet you miss your old owners an awful lot."

The wind fluffed Malik's corn silk hair, as he gazed up at the sky. Unlike the flame-colored horizon, the heavens above him were aqua, like the color of the Caribbean Sea. A flock of birds flew over them, their forms a blue among the clouds.

"The thing is," Malik continued, "Ryou and I are… I don't know what to call it, really. All of this is so strange to me. All of these…." He paused, placing his hand to his heart absently. "Maybe I'm just trying to make up for all the terrible crimes I committed against him in Battle City. I placed him through unspeakable acts—I invaded his mind and controlled him, working with Bakura to bring down the Pharaoh. It's a wonder he doesn't hate me for what I did to him." Malik found himself laughing at the statement.

"Ryou? Hate?" he asked himself. "Keh… I don't think Ryou could hate a serial killer. He's too good a person to feel dislike, I think."

It was true—every time Malik thought of Ryou, he could never see him hating another living creature. Even the Thief King, the devil in his heart who had nearly destroyed his sanity, couldn't stir a wisp of hatred from the albino. When Malik thought of Ryou, he could only see the youth smiling, his doe brown eyes glittering with innocence… and something like sadness.

_Sadness_…_ Ryou always seems so sad_.

"And I don't even know why," Malik said to himself. "I don't know why Ryou seems so sad, and it bothers me not to understand. It was like… like when I went into his mind, when I was still consumed by my own hatred. When I was in there, it was so _white_… so pure. There was no darkness in his heart at all—his soul lived side-by-side with that of Thief King Bakura, the most malevolent being I have ever met, and not a hint of his evil was in Ryou. And even with his purity, his room felt so _sad_… like the walls could sigh or something. I remember feeling strange when I was there… like I had invaded something sacred, something holy. I was in darkness myself back then, so I didn't pay heed to it, but now I wonder why I hadn't noticed it before really."

Malik's lips curled into a wistful smile as his eyes traced the cloud puffs in the sky, floating on by. "Ha… maybe that's why I had Ishizu paint that whole attic room white." He gestured to the window that led back into the sitting chamber. "When I'm in there, it kinda reminds me of Ryou's soul room. And when the sun is shining in through the windows, I feel so warm… like Ryou was there with me."

The pup nuzzled into Malik's lap more. Malik looked down to see he was contently napping, his head wedged under a fold of towel and his fluffy tail curled around him. Malik couldn't help but pet his friend lightly, stroking his fingers through his fur.

"I think you would have liked Ryou," Malik whispered. "You too seem so much alike. And he's a good person—a big animal lover. He's kind and funny and generous and…" Malik paused a beat. "And… and I really like him. We're close… as friends." Malik exhaled. "But you know what, doggie? Sometimes I don't think… that's its just friendship we have—me and Ryou. When he smiles, and his eyes sparkle in the sunlight, I just… I don't know, my heart feels like it pounds faster, and my head, it feels so light! It's as if I see him in a whole new way… like my eyes have been opened to what's really there.

"I've been thinking—maybe there's more to this than before. These feelings I get, whenever I'm around him… pup, I think I might have a crush on Ryou Bakura." A faint blush burned on Malik's tanned cheeks. "It's so hard to say that. Especially to him—I haven't told him yet. I mean, what if he just feels like we're friends? What if he says no if I ask him… if I ask him if he feels the same way?" Malik's throat constricted a bit—he could feel the oncoming of some tears, but he held them back. He had no reason to cry. "I'm acting so stupid, getting upset when I haven't even asked yet! Maybe he'll say yes, I don't know! 'Course, if Bakura ever found out he'd probably castrate me—he's very possessive of Ryou, and I doubt he'd give Ryou to someone like me: a person whose done terrible, terrible things." Malik's eyes watered. "Still… maybe he would say yes. Maybe… maybe… he would…."

There was silence. The pup stirred a bit, lifting his head in sleepy awareness to glance up at Malik. The youth's head was turned away, a strained expression on his face.

"Arff!" The little dog barked to him, causing Malik to return his attention back on him. Instantly the pup's pink tongue flopped out, and its tail wiggled a little beneath the blanket. Malik's expression lightened a tad.

"Ah, it's nothing you should be hearing about," Malik said as he snuggled the dog in his arms. The white fluff-ball leaned up and slavered Malik's face with tiny kisses; Malik grinned, giggling under his breath. "You could probably care less about me and my love interests. You're probably thinking about getting back to your old owners." Malik voice tampered down to a whisper, as he leaned down into the pup's ear. "Don't worry, doggie—I'll help you find your owners. I promise." As if to seal the deal, Malik then leaned over the pup's forehead, and planted a light kiss into his fur.

Malik straightened himself back up, smiling. "Well, while you're here, we might as well try to think of a name for you. It would be kind of silly to just call you 'dog' and stuff, right?" Malik was expecting the fur ball to just wag its tail faster in response. Instead, the dog wiggled its way out of the towel, and out of Malik's lap. It walked on the roof, onto Malik's right side.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Malik scrambled to his knees, shuffling over to the dog to grab him up. "It's dangerous up here! You could fall off the roof, and _then_ what would I do—"

Malik stopped. The air around him felt tingly, charged—he could sense energy, building around them. In the light of the orange sun the dog looked like a silhouette, watching him as his tail wagged this way and that. Then, the dog started to glow.

The light was faint at first, but it grew in brightness. It became brighter than the sunset, so much so that Malik had to cover his eyes with his hand—his ears buzzed with a humming noise tat got louder and louder as the white became brighter, and brighter. Malik felt the power building around the dog, growing so strong, it nearly knocked Malik off the roof.

_Wha-What's going on? What's happening?_

Just when Malik thought he couldn't take anymore of the rising power, when he felt he would reach his limit and pass out, the light died away, along with it the humming and the pressure. Breathing heavily from the surprise, Malik slowly uncovered his eyes.

In the light of the orange sunset, there was no longer a dog. A youth around his age sat beside him, with his snow-white hair ruffling in the lightest of breezes. He was clothed in a white sweater and straight-legged blue jeans, his pale skin barely contrasting with the sweater. And even with his face in shadow, his chocolate eyes shimmered as if with a light of their own… the eyes of Ryou Bakura.

Malik's jaw dropped.

Ryou's eyes widened, as he looked down at his human form with as much surprise as Malik. "Oh, umm…." He shyly rubbed the nape of his neck. "Hi there, Malik."

A squirrel scampered past them on the roof.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!" Malik scrambled away from Ryou, breathing harshly. "OMIGOD OMIGOD OMIGOD! RYOU! IT'S YOU!" He backed away a little more, as if he had no control over his limbs as they desperately tried to put some space between him and the albino. His lips moved very fast. "What are—? How did—? I—I don't—how could—"

"Malik, stop! You'll fall!"

"Huh?" Malik froze, and glanced behind him. His eyes were met with the edge of the roof, his left foot inches away from falling over. He gasped, realizing how close he had come to becoming a splatter on Ishizu's walkway.

"Wow," Malik breathed as he crawled back up on the roof. "That was a close one."

Ryou giggled nervously. "You're telling me."

Malik froze again, his eyes glued to his friend as if just recalling that he was there. "R-Ryou…?"

"Yes, Malik?"

Malik fought the urge to run back into the sitting room screaming. "You were—how did—I can't—!" Stopping himself, Malik took in a long, deep breath. "… Why were you a dog?"

"Well…," Ryou's eyes darted away as he sighed. "It's a really awkward story."

"You've got time—Ishizu won't be finished with dinner for at least another hour."

Ryou blinked. "How do you know that?"

Malik shrugged. "'Cause its' too early—the sun's still up. Now… about you… being a _dog_…?"

"It really wasn't my idea," Ryou started. "It was Bakura's." Malik shook his head in disgust.

"You mean _Bakura_ convinced you to turn into a dog and come to my house as an early birthday gift?"

"No, no! That's not it!" Ryou replied, waving his hands out in front of him defensively. "That's not it at all! You see… we were both trying to think of what to get you for your birthday. Bakura suggested that he try and cast a spell to help find the perfect gift."

"And… you let him play with dangerous and unstable spells… why?"

Ryou sighed. "I… I really couldn't stop him. You know Bakura—when he's onto something, he won't back down till he has it 'conquered'. And…" Ryou paused, biting his lower lip. "And I couldn't figure out what to get for you at all, Malik. I wanted to find the best present I possibly could for you, and every time I tried to shop, I just couldn't find what I was looking for. I was desperate at that point—all I needed was to know what to get, and I would get it. I had saved up enough yen to purchase almost anything."

Malik looked at his friend, his eyes wide. _Ryou_….

"So Bakura cast the spell," Ryou continued. "I just sat there and watched. It was all this bloody complex stuff, with chanting and explosive things… I don't really remember what happened. The spell probably backfired, like his always do; I felt like I was getting a little sleepy, and then there was this big flash of light… the next thing I knew, I was on your front porch, with Bakura standing next to me and knocking on the door. And I was covered in all this… fluff."

"Yeah, you were very fluffy," Malik said teasingly. Ryou went on, as if he had never heard.

"I tried to talk to Bakura, but he didn't seem to understand me, or pay attention to me. I thought he was being rude, so I went to tap his shoulder and I found that… I had _paws_, and I couldn't reach any further than his knees. I got so scared—I didn't know what had happened to me."

"Then what?" Malik asked.

"Then, I somehow heard someone coming to the door. The instant I did, Bakura leapt into the air, and vanished over the roof, leaving me alone on the doorstep. I started whimpering—I was so scared, I wasn't sure what was going on… and then the door opened, and I saw you." Ryou's pale lips smiled, as his brown eyes stared into Malik's lilac ones. "You were so funny, looking around for someone when I was right there the whole time. I started pawing your legs, and then you grabbed me up and brought me into the house. I was so relieved to be in someone's company."

"So… that was you the whole time," Malik said, his eyes piercing. _Keh… no wonder the dog was so well-trained_! "That was you; in the house, at the park… hey, you even licked me on the lips!"

Ryou's cheeks flushed with a light pink. "I did? I can't really recall too much… my memory of being a dog is quite fuzzy…."

Malik gnawed on his lower lip in thought. "Oh. So… what _do_ you remember?"

As the two teens spoke on the roof, another pair was hiding in the bushes below them, watching the two above. One had long snow-white hair, just like Ryou's save a few pointy parts that resembled devil horns. His russet eyes peered up at the roof, a small smirk playing on his thin lips.

"I still can't believe you managed to sneak out of the house without Ishizu seeing you," Bakura hissed to the dark spirit beside him, his binoculars facing towards the roof.

Marik shrugged, his spiky corn-silk hair getting tangled in the branches of the bush they hid in. "It was no big deal. I said I needed to take a piss—I'm more surprised that bitch didn't think it weird that I headed outside."

Bakura chuckled. He returned his attention to the rooftop. "Ah… and so the glorious plan unfolds."

"To tell you the truth, I still can't believe we actually pulled this off," Marik commented. He put down his binoculars and glanced over at the Thief King. "Tell me… did the spell you cast really backfire?"

Bakura's lips curled in a sinister fashion. "Not at all—in fact, it worked perfectly."

Marik cocked an eyebrow. "You mean you _planned_ to turn Ryou into a dog?"

Bakura nodded. "Yes, but I had to lie to him and say we were trying to divine for a present for Malik. You should have seen his face—he literally jumped at the chance to get his best friend the ideal gift. If I didn't say that, I wouldn't have gotten him to stay in the room for as long as he did."

"Are you ever going to tell him?"

Bakura's brow furrowed for a moment. "…No. I don't want to complicate the issue. My only concern now is getting those two lovebirds on the right track."

"Ooh, Bakura the matchmaker, on the case!" Marik mocked. Bakura glared at him, but the secondary personality did not relent. "And his accomplice, the smart and sexy Marik—"

"More like my side-kick," Bakura interjected. Marik's smirk fell away, instead becoming a glower. Bakura nudged him in the ribs.

"Gah! Don't do that, you bitch—"

"Shhhh!" Bakura clamped his hand on Marik's mouth, silencing him to mumbled curses. "Shut up, you faggot! They'll hear us, and that'll ruin everything!" He removed his hand, leaving Marik to gulp for air beside him. "Now, what's our next project, side-kick?"

Marik growled, muttering swears under his breath as he wiped away the spittle on his lips. "Well, next on the list… oh! We have to make Yami a cat and take him to Kaiba's place!"

Bakura nodded. "Yes—those two are such an obvious couple even _Wheeler_ knows it. Let's go make some mischief." And as their menacing chuckles echoed through the still air, their forms vanished into the shadows.

Back up on the roof, Ryou's brow furrowed in thought. Malik waited, wondering how much of his time as a dog Ryou could still recall.

"It feels… sort of like a dream," Ryou began. "I—I remember being on your doorstep. I remember when you played fetch with me in your living room… that ball tasted terrible foul, by the way." Both Malik and Ryou giggled. Ryou's eyes turned to the sky, a large smile on his face as his hair was swept up in the wind. "I recall running down the street, heading for the park. I was hoping that it might be a clue—that you might see that it was me inside the dog. I remember feeling sad that you didn't figure it out."

_I should've known_, Malik chided himself. _Why didn't I realize it before? It makes so much sense now… the park, the fountain, the bench—all of them places me and Ryou went to_. He shook his head. _Places only Ryou and I know about. _

"What… else?" Malik asked shyly. He was waiting… how much did Ryou remember, exactly?

"Well, I recall being wet and cold, from falling in the fountain," Ryou said distantly. "And you were there, with a towel, drying me off. It felt so good, I remember that. I remember you showing me the white room, and your bedroom… and I remember… I remember…."

"What?" Malik whispered. "What do you remember?"

"… I remember being here, with you," he said finally. His eyes were glazed, like he was looking at something far, far in his memory. "And you were holding me, in the towel. It was so warm, I was barely awake, but I heard you talking to me… about me." He stopped, and he gazed back at Malik. His eyes seemed to bore into Malik's mind, into the depths of his very soul.

"How… how much did you hear?" Malik asked. Ryou smiled faintly.

"Enough, I think."

That wasn't the answer Malik was looking for. He felt his heart pounding wildly in his chest now—how much was enough? Did he know…?

Malik's hands clenched into fists. This was the perfect time, the perfect moment. The sun was setting, there was no one there to interrupt… should he tell Ryou now? If Ryou had heard what he had said though, what was the point of telling? Why didn't Ryou say anything in regards to it? Malik's mind was racing, his head feeling light and dizzy. What would he say? What would he say—?

"Malik?" Ryou's voice woke him from his thoughts. "Something the matter—?"

"How do you feel about me, Ryou?" Malik went rigid—did he just blurt that out? To _Ryou_? He wanted to sink away, crawl into a hole and die right there.

Ryou looked puzzled, as if thinking on it. "How do I feel… about you?" His voice broke a little. There was a hanging silence, echoing around them. A wind tousled their hair, as it whistled past them.

"Well," Ryou whispered. "I guess it's like… how the sun feels about the horizon." Malik looked up at the sky, looking at the setting sun as it was half-way under the trees. "No matter where I am, I'll always drift back towards you. I'll always be back at your side, when the day is done." Malik's heart skipped a beat, watching Ryou as the albino exhaled. He smiled longingly. "Umm, that was bit abstract—I don't know if that answers your question or not, Malik—"

"No, it does." A small smile played on Malik's face, his lilac eyes soft. "It does, Ryou. Very much so." _Ryou_… _please, I want you to know_…_I'll always be your horizon, then_.

More silence. Then, "Ooh, shoot!" Ryou ran his fingers through his hair, looking bashfully at Malik. He giggled timidly. "To think, I had to spend an entire day as a dog, and I _still_ can't think of what to get you for a present. What a shame!" He looked away, his eyes dancing in the orange light of the sun. "Now I'll have to think of something else…."

Malik took in a breath. The moment seemed too right. The atmosphere hummed with the energy that passed between them. Malik felt himself floating in ecstasy above all his inhibitions….

Without thought or doubt, he reached over to Ryou's lap, and took one of the youth's pale hands into his grasp.

"I think," Malik said warmly, "that this is the best gift you could ever give me."

Ryou did not pull away. He clutched Malik's hand, as his eyes stared off into the distance.

"Yeah," he answered. He turned back to look at Malik, a glowing smile on his face. "Me too."

They both sat on the roof for a long time, holding hands until the sun was long gone, and the moon shone brightly upon them—shone brightly upon their hearts….

And upon their bond.

Author's Note: That was long. I really wonder sometimes if my one-shots are really one-shots—I like writing long things, so it's a tendency of mine to make things like this _very_ long.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the kawaiiness of my Angstshipping (which wasn't angst at all, come to think of it) one-shot. I give my thanks for taking time out of your day to read it (bows) and I hope you can review me and tell me what you thought.

Thanks a bundle! (glomps reader)


End file.
